Pressure Washer – How To Buy The Right One? Part 2
Many units use diesel or kerosene to heat water in a heating coil. This
hot water makes cleaning dirt, grime, gum and grease much easier and faster.
As always great things come with a cost. Pun intended. A hot water machine
can cost several hundred to several thousands more dollars per unit. In
addition these machines are heavier and more complex and a cold water unit.
Maintenance can also be more expensive and needed more often. Another
important point is that this type of pressure washer will require
electricity to run the burner system. This usually means a battery or
generator is needed as well.
The More Pressure The Better Right?
Well, not always. A real professional knows when to use a lot of pressure
and when not to use quite so much. For concrete and metal the more the
better. But for cleaning your vinyl siding or wooden deck not-so-much is
better. For instance many uneducated individuals will tell you to clean your
deck with 3000 psi. This WILL cause damage to your wood. Wood is best
cleaned with a combination of water pressure (around 600 to 1000 psi) and an
appropriate cleaner or stripper which will do most of the work. Vinyl siding
should be cleaned with even less pressure while a cleaner or bleach solution
does the real cleaning. The water is just for rinsing. So for most jobs
around the house a unit of around 1500 or 2000 psi should be sufficient. By
purchasing tips that reduce the pressure of the water coming out of the
wand, you can control pressure and safely clean items such as wood and vinyl
siding. The professional user will want to have a machine that can handle as
many situations as possible and get the jobs done in the quickest amount of
time. I would suggest a minimum of 3000 psi but 4000 psi would be even
better. If you plan on cleaning lots of concrete, stripping paint and
cleaning steel more pressure might be appropriate for you.
What Is The Difference Between PSI and GPM?
Most people focus on the PSI (pounds per square inch) that a unit offers.
For the home owner this is probably the most important factor. For a
professional it is critical to determine what kind of cleaning you will be
doing as GPM (gallons per minute) can be a critical component of your
cleaning. PSI will give you the ability to strip paint, scour concrete and
power off gunk. GPM allow you to put down a larger volume of water which can
assist in flushing dirt, chemicals and contaminates from the service. For
instance, when cleaning a deck, lower pressure will clean the surface while
preserving the wood fibers.
A high volume of water will help completely wash the chemicals from the
wood off onto the ground in one pass instead of having to come back and do
it again. A machine with high GPM output can clean a dirty concrete driveway
much faster that a unit with lots of pressure but low on
the water volume. But keep in mind that the higher pressure can clean it
better if there is grime that requires more pressure. Again
only you know what type of cleaning you are targeting. These things need to
be considered and a balanced combination based on need will create a unit
that’s right for you.
In closing,
Remember that performance and quality are two things you need to consider. Performance is based on the needs of your job. One person needs low pressure with high volume and another needs the opposite. Be sure to base your purchase on what you will most likely need. If you are not sure and you have a lot of money, get lots of pressure and lots of volume, some heat would be nice too! For the majority of us it means making an informed decision. Quality is a straight forward situation. You get what you pay for. If you want your machine to last a long time and is easy to service, buy a well known quality machine. My advise is to call a couple of local pressure washing service businesses and ask them what is the best machine in terms of longevity and serviceability. Only a person whose business is fixing these things (not selling them) will give you an honest answer. Back to Main Articles